If you want to be an impactful leader, you must become a learner! The reason for this is simple—when you’re in a leadership role, it’s likely that you’re looked to as the person with all the answers. When things go wrong, you’re called on to fix them. When people have questions, they come to you, first. And while this is just part of the gig, here’s the truth: Nobody knows everything, and there’s always something new to learn.
You’ll become exactly what your team needs by committing to picking up new skills and knowledge, daily! Let’s run through the benefits of leaning into learning as a leader (now, say that 10 times fast 😉).
Up your confidence.
If you want your team to have confidence in you as their leader, you must have confidence in yourself! And it turns out that picking up new knowledge is huge when it comes to establishing self-confidence. In fact, studies show that learning new skills can vastly improve how you feel about yourself, while propelling you toward future success.
Stay relevant.
In this ever-changing world, continuous learning helps us stay relevant! It would be tough to answer a question about an iPhone™ when you haven’t learned anything about Apple™ products since you bought their first computer back in 1976, right? The same is true when it comes to helping your team get what they need. Keep yourself informed on what’s going on right now—both in your industry and in the world—so that you can be a valuable resource for others.
Be flexible.
Think about the way you typically eat apples—do you like to eat them whole? Maybe cut them into quarters? Or maybe you prefer one of these 15 slicing methods. The point is, there’s more than one way to eat an apple, just like there’s usually more than one way to go about solving a problem. Challenge yourself to not only find one solution, but to find all possible solutions. Do your research and prepare for potential roadblocks. People appreciate leaders who can adapt when situations get tricky … so, be the one everyone can depend on!
Get going!
Now that you’ve heard all the benefits, it’s time to do the work! How can you start immersing yourself in daily learning to become the best possible leader?
- Pick up a new hobby.
- Listen to audios on topics that interest you.
- Read books … lots and lots of books! (Check out this post to learn how to build a reading habit.)
- Take an online course (there are lots of free online course options!)
Most importantly, push yourself! We only stretch the limits of our minds by getting out of our comfort zones and trying new things.
If you get one thing from this post, let it be this: Great leaders don’t stay stagnant. They know there’s ALWAYS more to learn. Be the leader your team needs by challenging yourself to gain new knowledge every day.
Want to know what else great leaders do? They work on personal development! Read my post to learn about how to start a personal development routine.
